b. Interpretation.
(1) Clinics routinely order two categories of medications: items for direct
reissue to individual patients, and drugs to be used within the clinic. Each item for
patient reissue has a UCA weighted value of 0.6. Each line of medications identified for
use within the clinic will have a UCA weighted value of 2.0 regardless of the number of
bulk issue items ordered. Correctly anticipating the exact disposition of medication
ordered by a clinic is extremely difficult, and it is recommended that separate orders be
required which identify the items according to use. This separation of drugs, based on
anticipated use by the requesting agency, will not totally eliminate variances, but is
preferable to having the pharmacy service "guess" about the ultimate disposition of the
medications. The specific method of separating these orders lies with the discretion of
the Chief, Pharmacy Service.
(2) Transfer of supplies from the main pharmacy to any internal or
decentralized dispensing pharmacy, which is part of the hospital pharmacy's TDA, does
not generate any UCA weighted procedure count. Each pharmacy work-center,
however, will maintain its own UCA count procedures; when the medication is actually
dispensed to a patient or reissued within the clinic, a UCA count will be made based on
established guidelines. Interpretative examples are provided in figures 3-6--3-l0.
c. Examples: Clinic Bulk Orders. Examples with calculations are given below.
MD0812
3-10